Board & Anbi

About the foundation

What You See Festival is a contemporary, multidisciplinary and international arts festival in the capillaries of Utrecht that questions and overturns our norms about gender and identity. The What You See Festival Foundation is registered as a public benefit organization (ANBI). What You See is above all an invitation to come together, to meet others, to examine your own assumptions and prejudices and to collectively fantasize about future realities, and forms of being and living together.

Be welcome!

People consist of a multicoloured, layered identity, of which gender is an important element. Nobody wants to be reduced to one characteristic of that identity, but at the same time it is a very human trait to interpret the other as quickly as possible. In this process of interpretation, the identity of another is often simplified and made one-dimensional. Art offers an excellent opportunity to explore alternatives, to show different perspectives and to question our own mechanisms. What You See Festival stimulates artists and the public to fantasise together about new realities and new forms of being together.

What You See Festival:

  • uses groundbreaking artistic expressions to question the - often unwritten - norms in our society about gender and identity and shows new realities in them
  • invites shifts in perspective
  • offers a joint exercise in empathy and compassion
  • opts for an intersectional approach, which means that with gender as the core we also make other aspects of identity, such as (cultural) background, age and (in)validity part of the programming and projects
  • implements its vision on inclusion and diversity within the organisation and continuously reflects and evaluates it.
 

To contribute to a gender diverse and inclusive society by presenting, initiating and producing professional artworks that offer diverse perspectives on gender and do justice to the diversity and complexity of the subject.

The goals of the festival are:

Realising an exciting, urgent, unique, international performing arts festival about gender and identity every year.
Bringing together different art forms in cultural hotspots throughout Utrecht.
Connecting local embedding with national and international relevance.
Stimulating talent development on a local, national and international level.
Attracting a diverse and annually increasing diverse audience; from young to old, from straight to queer, from different cultural and social backgrounds and with different visions, perspectives and experiences.

The What You See Foundation endorses the Culture Governance Code, the Fair Practice Code and the Cultural Diversity Code.

What You See has chosen a board/management model. The management is responsible for the daily course of events, prepares board decisions and executes them, in cooperation with the core team. The board meets at least four times a year and is responsible for the financial control of the foundation. In addition, the board expands the network that is important for the festival.

The board members commit themselves to What You See Festival for a minimum of four and a maximum of eight years, are unpaid and do not charge expenses. The board members of What You See Festival are independent and ensure integrity and role awareness.

The What You See Festival team members are involved in the festival as employees or as freelancers. The award is based on the Collective Labor Agreement for Theater and Dance.

board

JANTIEN PLOOIJ

President

Business multi-talent who fights for an inclusive theater field by stimulating innovation opportunities and creativity.

KIRSTEN BRANDT

Treasurer

Commercial and financial entrepreneur with roots in the theatre. Founder of the digital learning agency RMMBR about learning and tech.

TSUI-SAEN LEUNG

Board member

Cultural strategist, pur sang connector, project leader and consultant with expertise in the field of talent development and diversity.

GISELLE TIMMERS

Board member

Studying Management of International Social Challenges and Philosophy. Shares her experiences and observations in a column in the Erasmus Magazine.

Photography credits: Tessa de Geus

SELM MEREL WENSELAERS

Board member

Artistic director, coordinator and dramaturge with a solid track record in performing arts, visual arts and cultural heritage.

Bo van der Maas

Board member

Creative non-binary marketer with experience in the commercial and non-profit sector, who creates and coordinates marketing plans.

Contact information

Foundation What You See Festival
Laan van New Guinea 125BS
3531 JH Utrecht

info@whatyouseefestival.nl

KvK 68923368
RSIN 857649929

confidant: Caroline van der Hor

Documents